A rare medical case unfolded in Xi’an, China, when a woman, identified by the surname Li, gave birth to healthy twins from two separate wombs. The remarkable delivery, which occurred in September via Cesarean section, involved a boy and a girl. Li, who was eight and a half months pregnant, has a rare condition called uterus didelphys, which means she was born with two fully formed uteruses, including ovaries and oviducts.
Uterus didelphys affects only 0.3% of women worldwide, according to Cleveland Clinic. The condition carries significant risks, including miscarriage and premature birth, making successful full-term pregnancies a rare outcome. Despite these challenges, Li’s case defied the odds.
“Being pregnant in each of the two uteruses through natural conception is very rare. We have only heard of a couple of such cases from both China and abroad,” said Cai Ying, a senior obstetrician at the hospital, adding that reaching 37 weeks of pregnancy in such cases is an extraordinary occurrence.
Li had previously experienced a miscarriage at 27 weeks during an earlier pregnancy. This time, doctors meticulously monitored her condition, ensuring a safe delivery.
The case echoes another rare occurrence in 2023 when a woman from Alabama, United States, delivered twins from two wombs through both vaginal delivery and Cesarean section.
